1972
1972 is the year of the last crewed Moon landing.
- Even
- Composite
Where 1972 fits
Why 1972 is special
Apollo 17 left the surface in December 1972 and no human has been beyond low Earth orbit since. The programme was cancelled while flight hardware for further missions already existed, which is why the pause is measured in decades rather than in technical limits.
Same number, different meanings
How 1972 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
Apollo 17 left the surface in December 1972 and no human has been beyond low Earth orbit since. The programme was cancelled while flight hardware for further missions already existed, which is why the pause is measured in decades rather than in technical limits.
- History
In 1972, the last crewed Moon landing took place with Apollo 17.
- Science
Apollo 17 left the lunar surface in December 1972 and no human has been beyond low Earth orbit since. The programme ended while flight hardware for further missions already existed, so the gap reflects funding rather than any technical limit.
1972 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (12)
- 1, 2, 4, 17, 29, 34, 58, 68, 116, 493, 986, 1972
- Prime factorisation
- 2^2 × 17 × 29
- Digit sum
- 19
- Digital root
- 1
Representations
- Decimal
- 1972
- Scientific notation
- 1.972 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M C M L X X I I
MCMLXXII uses the subtractive pair CM: a hundred before a thousand — a thousand minus a hundred.
Binary
1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 1 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 1,972
Octal
3 6 6 4
3 × 512 + 6 × 64 + 6 × 8 + 4 × 1 = 1,972
Hexadecimal
7 b 4
7 × 256 + b × 16 + 4 × 1 = 1,972
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 256 + 128 + 32 + 16 + 4 = 1,972.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 9 coils of rope, 7 hobbles, 2 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 9 × 100 + 7 × 10 + 2 × 1 = 1,972. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
3 corner wedges + 2 vertical wedges (sixties place), 5 corner wedges + 2 vertical wedges (units place)
32 × 60 + 52 = 1972. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
Related numbers & connections
1972 is a year in the 20th century, in the 1970s.
Apollo 11 landed in 1969 and Apollo 17 left in 1972. Six landings occurred in forty-one months, and none since.
View 1969 →Numbers Around Us
- appears inHistorical years
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Other connections
- is associated with1969
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
History
In 1972, the last crewed Moon landing took place with Apollo 17.
DocumentedHistoryGeography: globalPeriod: 1972
Science
Apollo 17 left the lunar surface in December 1972 and no human has been beyond low Earth orbit since. The programme ended while flight hardware for further missions already existed, so the gap reflects funding rather than any technical limit.
DocumentedSciencePeriod: December 1972
Common questions
Is 1972 a prime number?
No, 1972 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1972?
The factors of 1972 are 1, 2, 4, 17, 29, 34, 58, 68, 116, 493, 986, 1972.
What is 1972 in Roman numerals?
1972 in Roman numerals is MCMLXXII. CM is subtractive: a hundred before a thousand — a thousand minus a hundred. Written additively it would be MDCCCCLXXII, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026